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Stubborn gas leak forces residents from homes

Posted: 7:33 AM, Dec 18, 2015

Updated:2015-12-18 15:33:31Z

By:
City News Service

SAN DIEGO -- Utility crews worked into the early morning hours Friday to repair a gas leak in Old Town caused by a construction mishap that left some area residents in need of overnight lodging elsewhere.

A backhoe ruptured a 3/4-inch-diamater pipeline while digging into the roadway at Juan and Twiggs streets shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Utility personnel initially said it would take at least until midnight to cap off the broken gas line but were still working to make repairs as of around 4:30 a.m., authorities said. An estimate of when the work is expected to be completed was not immediately available.

Emergency crews decided that, as precautions, two nearby homes would have to be evacuated and a pair of parking lots would be off-limits pending repairs. No businesses had to close or suspend operations and there were no reported injuries, fire officials said.